New English Translation
Psalms 52:2
2Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver.
Psalms 52:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
- New International Version (NIV)You who practice deceit, your tongue plots destruction; it is like a sharpened razor.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Your tongue plots destruction, like a sharp razor, you worker of deceit.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Your tongue devises destruction, Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
Context of Psalms 52:2
1Why do you boast about your evil plans, O powerful man? God’s loyal love protects me all day long! Your tongue carries out your destructive plans; it is as effective as a sharp razor, O deceiver. 3You love evil more than good, lies more than speaking the truth. (Selah) 4You love to use all the words that destroy, and the tongue that deceives.
Read all of Psalms 52Psalms 52:2 word by word
הַ֭וּוֹת תַּחְשֹׁ֣ב לְשׁוֹנֶ֑ךָ כְּתַ֥עַר מְ֝לֻטָּ֗שׁ עֹשֵׂ֥ה רְמִיָּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 52:2
- Psalms 50:19You do damage with words, and use your tongue to deceive.
- Psalms 64:2Hide me from the plots of evil men, from the crowd of evildoers.
- Psalms 140:2who plan ways to harm me. All day long they stir up conflict.
- Proverbs 6:16There are six things that the Lord hates, even seven things that are an abomination to him:
- Proverbs 30:14There is a generation whose teeth are like swords and whose molars are like knives to devour the poor from the earth and the needy from among the human race.
- Jeremiah 9:3The Lord says, “These people are like soldiers who have readied their bows. Their tongues are always ready to shoot out lies. They have become powerful in the land, but they have not done so by honest means. Indeed, they do one evil thing after another and do not pay attention to me.
- Jeremiah 18:18Then some people said, “Come on! Let us consider how to deal with Jeremiah! There will still be priests to instruct us, wise men to give us advice, and prophets to declare God’s word. Come on! Let’s bring charges against him and get rid of him! Then we will not need to pay attention to anything he says.”
- Matthew 26:59The chief priests and the whole Sanhedrin were trying to find false testimony against Jesus so that they could put him to death.
- Acts 6:11Then they secretly instigated some men to say, “We have heard this man speaking blasphemous words against Moses and God.”
- Acts 24:1After five days the high priest Ananias came down with some elders and an attorney named Tertullus, and they brought formal charges against Paul to the governor.
- Revelation 12:10Then I heard a loud voice in heaven saying, “The salvation and the power and the kingdom of our God, and the ruling authority of his Christ, have now come, because the accuser of our brothers and sisters, the one who accuses them day and night before our God, has been thrown down.
- Psalms 57:4I am surrounded by lions; I lie down among those who want to devour me; men whose teeth are spears and arrows, whose tongues are a sharp sword.
- Psalms 59:7Look, they hurl insults at me and openly threaten to kill me, for they say, “Who hears?”
- Proverbs 12:18Speaking recklessly is like the thrusts of a sword, but the words of the wise bring healing.
- Proverbs 18:21Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love its use will eat its fruit.
- Psalms 109:2For they say cruel and deceptive things to me; they lie to me.
Commentaries on Psalms 52:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Deviseth mischiefs - Lies and slanders proceeding from the tongue argue the desperate wickedness of the heart. Like a sharp razor, working deceitfully - Which instead of taking off the beard, cuts and wounds the flesh; or as the operator who, when pretending to trim the beard, cuts the throat.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs - The word rendered “mischiefs” means (a) desire, cupidity: Proverbs 10:3; then (b) fall, ruin, destruction, wickedness: Psalm 5:9; Psalm 38:12. The meaning here is, that he made use of his tongue to ruin others. Compare Psalm 50:19. The particular thing referred to here is the fact that Doeg sought the ruin of others by giving “information” in regard to them. He “informed” Saul of what Ahimelech had done; he informed him…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-4Liars deceive themselves by thinking they can be heroes with their words. They see themselves as innocent, even though they love evil and cause harm. Those who speak curses, sarcasm, bitterness, arrogant boasting, and lies (Psalms 31:18; 34:13; 59:7, 12; 120:2–3; 140:3, 9) create chaos, isolation, and destruction (James 3:5). Their sharp words cut like swords and daggers (Psalms 55:21; 57:4; 64:3), the fangs of a snake (140:3), or a razor.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. tongue--for self. mischiefs--evil to others (Psa 5:9; 38:12). working deceitfully--(Psa 10:7), as a keen, smoothly moving razor, cutting quietly, but deeply.Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 52:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 52
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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